Artists

Galleries

Categories

Jeannie Mills Pwerle

Jeannie Mills Pwerle is an established and highly respected artist from the Utopia region of the Northern Territory. She was born on the 15th of May 1965 and is an Alyawarre woman. Jeannie is the daughter of acclaimed artist Dolly Mills and the niece of senior elder Greeny Purvis Petyarre. Jeannie paints the Anaty (Bush Yam, pronounced 'ung-kiy-yah) story from her father's country, Irrwelty in Utopia, North East of Alice Springs. Jeannie's subject matter is the flower and seeds of the Anaty (Bush Yam, or potato). Using a variety of colours in each brush stroke, she builds up a pattern of harmonious (and occasionally contrasting) colours, embedded in (or defined by) a multitude of fine white dots, usually executed with intricate detail. Her paintings capture the viewer's attention as their eyes meander across the canvas, enjoying the harmonies and subtle variations in each brush stroke - no two being the same. Jeannie's Dreamings are centred on the seeds and blossom of the desert yam and on associated women's ceremony. Although the Bush Yam Dreaming is shared by several other Utopian artists, including the prominent artist Emily Kame Kngwarreye, Jeannie's works are unique to her and immediately recognisable. Her works and the variegated colour tones within them, make fascinating pieces in the home, because their colours subtly change, deepen or brighten with every nuance of the ambient light. They make excellent choices for interior design enthusiasts. The yam is a staple part of the bush tucker diet of many indigenous people from the Central Desert region. It has an impressive root system, spreading up to twelve metres from the stalk, and is commonly found in woodland areas nearby a water source. Its bright green leaves and yellow flowers, can spread over quite a wide area, growing strongly until after the rainfall months when it is harvested by digging it out of the ground. By depicting the Yam Dreaming in their paintings, indigenous artists are able to pay homage to this significant plant and encourage its continual rejuvenation.

What was your very first job and what did you learn from it?

Works by Jeannie Mills Pwerle

Sign up now to our newsletter and get advanced access to the latest contemporary artworks each week directly in your inbox. Customize your browsing preferences, and learn more about artists and artworks you love most. Plus, stay updated with all breaking news, exhibition openings and events from the contemporary art world. Create your own art collection, stay tuned and join us!

I read the Privacy Policy and I consent to the processing of my personal data